In the wake of the assault on the US Capitol on January 6, Twitter permanently suspended Donald Trump’s personal account, and Google, Apple and Amazon shunned Parler, which at least temporarily shut down the social media platform favoured by the far right.
Dubbed “deplatforming,” these actions restrict the ability of individuals and communities to communicate with each other and the public. Deplatforming raises ethical and legal questions, but foremost is the question of whether it is an effective strategy to reduce hate speech and calls for violence on social media.
The Conversation US asked three experts in online communications whether deplatforming works and what happens when technology companies attempt it.
‘Sort of, but it is not a long-term solution’
The question of how effective deplatforming is can be looked at from two different angles: does it work from a technical standpoint, and does it have an effect on worrisome communities themselves?
Does…
